The short answer
Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines say that ideally people understand an app simply by using it, and that onboarding, when it is needed, should be fast, fun and optional. In practice: get people to the core action in the first minute, ask only for what personalises the experience, request permissions when they make sense, and show the paywall after people have seen why it is worth it.
Apple’s principles, in short
- Teach through interactivity. Let people try the action, not read about it.
- Prefer tips in context. A tip next to the feature, at the moment it matters, beats a tour at launch. TipKit exists for this.
- Keep a required flow brief. If you teach too much, people forget it or give up.
- Make tutorials optional, do not show them again, and keep them findable in Settings or Help.
- Teach your app, not the iPhone. People already know how to use their device.
- Do not make people wait for downloads before they can start.
- Leave licences and legal text to the App Store, where people can read them before downloading.
A structure that works
- One screen of value, at most. What the app does for this person, in one line and one image. Many apps can skip even this.
- The core action, straight away. Take the photo, start the chat, add the first habit. The first result is the real onboarding.
- Only the questions that personalise. If an answer does not change what the person sees next, ask later or never.
- Permissions at the point of use. Ask for notifications, the camera or location when a feature needs them, with a clear purpose string.
- The paywall, after the first result. Benefits first, then clear terms, then a way to continue.
Permission prompts
Apple suggests asking for a permission during onboarding only if the app cannot work without it; otherwise, ask when people first reach the feature that needs it. Either way, the system prompt shows your purpose string, so write it as a reason, not a label: “Used to scan receipts and read the total” rather than “Camera access”. Vague purpose strings are a common review issue, and guideline 5.1.1 asks apps to request only the data the feature needs.
Sign-in
- Do not require an account you do not need. Guideline 5.1.1(v) says apps without significant account-based features should let people in without a login.
- If you use Google or another social login, offer an equivalent private option such as Sign in with Apple (guideline 4.8).
- If people can create an account, they must be able to delete it in the app.
- Let people try first, then save. Asking for an account when there is something worth saving is easier to accept than a sign-up wall at launch.
Where the paywall fits
Apple’s subscription guidance recommends presenting subscription benefits during onboarding, briefly, with a clear call to action and clear terms. Its design guidance also recommends letting people experience the app before asking for purchases. The two fit together when the paywall follows the first real result: people know what they are paying for. The rules for the paywall itself are in paywall best practices.
Onboarding an AI app
In an AI app, the first generation is the onboarding. Make the first input easy (a sample photo, a suggested prompt), show progress honestly while it works, and put the result on screen before anything else asks for attention. If personal data goes to a third-party AI service, the disclosure and permission that guideline 5.1.2(i) requires belong right before that first request.
Measure it
- Track each onboarding step as an event, and look at where people stop.
- Measure how many people reach the core action in their first session.
- Compare day-one and day-seven return rates before and after a change.
- Change one step at a time.
Related: Paywall best practices · iPhone app design · iOS UX audit